Fallen
by Priestess Aishisu
Summary: A group of one-shot Bakura-centric songfics for the Evanescence CD Fallen. RyouBakura YamiBakura, both mostly one-sided
1. Going Under

Priestess Aishisu: You may or just as easily may not have read my fanfiction 'Hybrid Theory,' which was a collection of Yu-Gi-Oh one-shot songfics from the Linkin Park CD Hybrid Theory—or it will be once I have more than one chapter of. This is pretty much the same thing, except that—as you might have already figured out—it's Evanescence's Fallen. The first one is 'Going Under.' (They're in order)  
**Warning:** This contains **Yaoi!** As in (one-sided) romance between two guys. Most Yu-Gi-Oh fans don't seem to mind, but just so you know. The pairing is one-sided Darkshipping (Yami no Yugi/Yami no Bakura) and implied Casteshipping (Thief King Bakura/Pharaoh Atemu)****

_Now I will tell you_ _what I've done for you  
50 thousand_ _tears I've cried  
Screaming,_ _deceiving,_ _and_ _bleeding for you  
And_ _you still_ _won't hear me  
I'm going_ _under_

He doesn't remember me.

Dammit, how long have I spent obsessing over that?

Since I found out, I suppose, and that's quite a long time to obsess over something—over anything. Though for somebody who is over 3500 years old and has an eternity to keep obsessing, it isn't really that long.

I still remember the day I found out he was sealed into the Puzzle—still remembered the moment that runt Yugi's comatose body rose up with a new fierceness.

"Who are you? Where is Bakura?"

I am not likely to forget those words for a long time, nor the fury and disgust in his eyes and face and voice when he said them.

The warmth in his eyes were gone, as was some of the fire. They were just icy—as piercing as I remembered them, but not the same. They weren't even the same color.

_Don't want your hand this time_ _I'll save myself  
Maybe I'll wake_ _up for once  
Not tormented daily_ _defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd_ _reached the bottom  
I'm dying_ _again_

I didn't want to seem like a wimp to him, whether he remembered me or not. So I held my head up high and kept all my emotions bottled up.

But I couldn't think right, and I lost.

And when he sent me to the Shadow Realm, it was all I could do not to burst into tears.

_I'm_ _going_ _under_  
_Drowning_ _in_ _you_  
_I'm_ _falling_ _forever_  
_I've_ _got_ _to_ _break_ _through_  
_I'm_ _going_ _under_

Could he look me in the eyes as I spoke to him of a Pharaoh's reckless decision to slaughter a village in order to collect enough blood to make the Millennium Items?

What would happen if I told him how I avenged the villager's death, trading a life for a life? Would he feel that same rage as he did before over my acts of hatred and vengeance?

And if I told him that we fell in love nevertheless, would he believe me? But that love wasn't enough, apparently, for him not to punish my crimes—crimes that were his fault in the first place.

It was he who sealed me to the Ring, leaving my body to rot in a dungeon cell. He chose his kingdom over his love.

That alone I should never have forgiven him for. He doomed me to an eternity of wandering the darkness, denying me of the chance to attain even a moment of peace.

_Blurring and stirring the_ _truth and the lies  
So I don't know what's real and_ _what's not  
Always confusing the_ _thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust_ _myself anymore  
I'm_ _dying_ _again_

I forgave him long ago.

And now, whenever I see him, it takes all my self-control to keep from screaming in frustration. And when he insults me, hurts me, it's just too much. I retaliate, but he gives much worse than he gets.

I'm a spirit because of him. I hate because of him. I **suffer** because of him. I'm **insane** because of him. He's dug a bottomless pit and pushed me in.

_I'm_ _going_ _under_  
_Drowning_ _in_ _you_  
_I'm_ _falling_ _forever_  
_I've_ _got_ _to_ _break_ _through_  
_I'm_ _going_ _under_

And nothing can pull me out.

So let him hate me. Let him insult me. Let him be more ready to send me to the Shadow Realm than to spare me a glance.

The man I loved is dead to me.

Merely dust in the sands of time.

_So go on_ _and scream  
Scream at_ _me so far gone  
I won't be_ _broken again  
I've got_ _to breathe  
I can't keep_ _going under_


	2. Bring Me To Life

_How_ _can you see into my eyes   
Like_ _open_ _doors   
Leading_ _you down into my core   
Where_ _I've become so numb_

The energy of the Dark Magician blazed through the shadows, striking at the Duel Monster. The opponent's life-point count went down to zero, and he slipped to his knees, his breathing sounding painful and ragged. It was obvious that he hadn't been trying. The emptiness in his pale blue eyes throughout the duel was proof enough.

He had had many names over his three-thousand-five-hundred-year lifetime: Yami no Bakura, Kage, Nahkti, Spirit of the Millennium Ring, Touzoku Ou, Tomb-Robber, assorted insults, and about a million other things. He was now known simply as Bakura. Soon he would not have a name at all. Soon he would be dead.

Then again, he had been dead inside for a long time.

_Without_ _a_ _soul   
My_ _spirit sleeping somewhere cold   
Until_ _you_ _find_ _it there and lead   
It_ _back_ _home_

The man still standing—the man who had one—regarded the other man with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. He, too, had been known by many names—Yami no Yugi, Mou Hitori no Boku, Namonaki, Pharaoh, Bel um Fal, blah-blah-blah. He was now known by his 'true' name: Atemu.

The man before him had little resemblance to the mad spirit he had grown to despise, nor the evil Tomb-Robber he had always hated. He had not been fighting, Atemu knew this. Somehow, this made his victory feel like a travesty. He didn't know why. He had never cared before.

Actually, he did.

_Wake_ _me up   
Wake_ _me_ _up inside   
I_ _can't_ _wake up   
Wake_ _me up inside   
Save_ _me_   
_Call_ _my_ _name and_ _save me   
From the_ _dark_

"I wasn't always a 'good' guy," Atemu remarked aloud, hoping to spark some reaction from the broken man. He didn't even raise his head, but Atemu continued nevertheless.

"There was a point where I was sadistic enough to burn four men to death just so Yugi and his friends could have their place at a silly little fair. But I was always considered a hero. There was over a million chances for me to redeem my every crime—but there was never any chance for you." He smiled sadly. "It's funny, but...I almost pity you."

Even this sparked no reaction. Atemu realized he may as well deliver the punishment now. There was nothing left that could help Bakura now. He didn't even know why he wanted to, but he did.

_Bid_ _my_ _blood to run_   
_Before_ _I_ _come_ _undone_   
_Save_ _me_   
_Save_ _me_ _from_ _the_ _nothing_   
_I've_ _become_

"Bakura."

The authority and seriousness in his voice made Bakura glance up. There was no emotion in his face, only a haunted expression which tugged at the strings of Atemu's heart like few things had before. Nevertheless, he forced himself to speak with the same calm severity that had made Bakura pay attention when nothing else would.

"Bakura, I know of countless crimes that you have committed, and I have no doubt that there are many of which I am unaware. Yet you have always escaped the Shadow Realm and any other punishment that might be enacted. Death would be a merciful but necessary sentence, but you and I both know you will not stay dead unless you wish to. I need to hear from your mouth that you accept your sentence."

_Bring_ _me_ _to life   
Bring_ _me_ _to_ _life_

Bakura was trembling now, but there was no fear in his eyes. So Atemu continued, even though he had the strangest sensation that in saying the words he was stabbing himself. "Bakura, do you accept the punishment of death?"

Bakura's lips parted, but no words escaped them. He licked them, and Atemu noticed that they were swollen and scarred. His voice was dry and quiet, but there was as much finality in his tone as there was in the word itself.

"Yes."

_Now_ _that_ _I know_ _what_ _I'm without   
You_ _can't just leave me   
Breathe_ _into me and make_ _me_ _real   
Bring_ _me_ _to life_

There. He had said it, and Atemu knew he meant it. He remembered Bakura's anguish when he discovered that it was Necrophadisu, not Akunamukanon, who had destroyed his village. He recalled his own sadness when he discovered the true reason Bakura despised him, and realized that he had been manipulated and lied to all along.

If Atemu killed him now, Bakura would die and stay dead. But even as he knew this fact, he knew another:

He couldn't do it.

_Wake_ _me up   
Wake_ _me_ _up inside   
I_ _can't_ _wake up   
Wake_ _me up inside   
Save_ _me_   
_Call_ _my_ _name and_ _save me   
From the_ _dark_

So Atemu stood, torn between his heart and his duty. He didn't want to kill Bakura. He would never forgive himself if he killed Bakura. If he didn't kill Bakura, he would never be able to live it down.

_Is this what it comes down to?_ Atemu wondered, feeling uncertain and confused. _What I think, or what others think? What can I do? My friends...they're all expecting me to get rid of him! That was why they told me to fight him! Yugi...Jonouchi...Honda...Mai...Ryuuji...Anzu...I can't just let them all down, can I? But if I kill him,_ _I'll hate myself forever._

He gazed at Bakura, trying to think, trying to calm down, trying to figure out his tumultuous feelings. The King of Thieves was watching him unwaveringly, still on his knees, waiting to die. _What can I do?_

_Bid_ _my_ _blood to run_   
_Before_ _I_ _come_ _undone_   
_Save_ _me_   
_Save_ _me_ _from_ _the_ _nothing_   
_I've_ _become_

Bakura watched Atemu, not understanding his hesitation. Had he thought he was lying?

Bakura smiled bitterly. He wanted to die. The only people who cared about him were dead, the only people who would help him had been done away by cruel time. All he had done was suffer and cause suffering.

It was time to say farewell.

_Bring_ _me_ _to life   
I've_ _been_ _living a lie   
There's_ _nothing inside   
Bring_ _me_ _to_ _life_

He wasn't saying anything, Atemu noticed as he walked closer. He had said one word this entire time, the word that should have sealed his fate.

This was Atemu's fault, not Bakura's. He couldn't even blame Necrophadisu for this battle. His friends had been the ones who insisted he finish this once and for all, while Bakura was vulnerable, but he had agreed. _Vulnerable..._fighting him at this time had been taking advantage of Bakura and his devastation. And then he knew.

"I can't," Atemu whispered. Then, louder. "I can't."

_Frozen_ _inside   
Without_ _your love,_ _without_ _your_ _touch   
Darling,_ _only_ _you are the life   
Among the dead_

Bakura's head snapped up. He opened his mouth as if to protest, but he was much too tired to utter a word. He seemed so fragile, a haggard image made of glass.

"I can't do it, Bakura," Atemu said seriously, feeling as if a giant weight had been removed from his shoulders. "Fighting you like this was cruelty, pure and simple. And to kill you now would be a crime worse than any you could ever commit."

_All_ _of this_ _time   
I_ _can't_ _believe I couldn't see   
Lost_ _in the dark   
But_ _you_ _were_ _there_ _in_ _front of me_

Bakura blinked at him, stunned. Had his hearing been damaged as well, or had Atemu just said that he wouldn't kill him because he felt that it was cruelty? Was this supposed to be a cruel joke?

No, Atemu's expression wasn't that of somebody who was joking. "What if I asked you do?" His voice was a mere whisper, his throat felt raw. His lips were too dry. "I'm not too proud to beg...not anymore."

"I can't do it," Atemu repeated. "I won't."

_I've_ _been sleeping   
A_ _thousand_ _years it seems   
Got_ _to open my eyes   
To_ _everything_

"Then what are you going to do?" he whispered harshly. "There isn't any hope left for me. If you don't kill me now I'll just try to kill you again. I've fallen too far to come back now."

"That isn't true," Atemu argued stubbornly. He was standing right above Bakura now, so close that Bakura could smell him. "I can show you that life is worth living. I can help you...if you let me." He held out a hand. "Do you trust me?"

_Without_ _a_ _thought   
Without_ _a_ _voice   
Without_ _a_ _soul_

Everything suddenly felt too overwhelming. Bakura could sense the darkness closing in. If Atemu didn't kill him soon, he would be lost to the shadows. "You don't understand! It's too late for me! I can feel the shadows coming for me—if you don't kill me now..." he trailed off, afraid to continue.

Atemu couldn't feel them. He didn't hear every soul Bakura had ever wronged screaming for redemption. All Bakura wanted was peace...an emotion he had never been lucky enough to experience.

"There isn't much time! If you want to help me, you'll kill me **now."**

_Don't_ _let_ _me_ _die in here   
There_ _must be something more   
Bring_ _me_ _to life   
Bring_ _me_ _to_ _life_

Bakura was trembling. More than anything, he wanted what Atemu's words promised, but it was too late. There wasn't any time left. He looked up pleadingly, hoping to convince him that his words weren't merely an idle threat. Their eyes met.

Bakura was startled by what he saw in Atemu's eyes. Sympathy, compassion, understanding, tenderness...feelings no one had ever shown towards him before. For the first time he believed him. Maybe it was just a foolish hope, but he desperately wanted to believe that Atemu could help him.

_Wake_ _me up   
Wake_ _me_ _up inside   
I_ _can't_ _wake up   
Wake_ _me up inside   
Save_ _me_   
_Call_ _my_ _name and_ _save me   
From the_ _dark_

Bakura reached up, taking Atemu's hand. Atemu helped him up and suddenly gold light blazed around him. Bakura gasped sharply, hurt both physically and mentally. It was a long, excruciating process. He could feel his soul shatter, feel bits and pieces of himself be sucked away until there was nothing left.

With a final, shuddering breath, he slumped against Atemu.

_Bid_ _my_ _blood to run_   
_Before_ _I_ _come_ _undone_   
_Save_ _me_   
_Save_ _me_ _from_ _the_ _nothing_   
_I've_ _become_

Atemu held the limp body tightly as the souls fed on what he had broken and expelled. All of Bakura's pains, all of his sorrows, every shred of evil in his soul. He hoped he had done the right thing.

Pressing a hand against Bakura's neck, he felt a tiny spark of a soul left. So much of his humanity had been eaten away by pain and darkness, hatred and evil. If he lived, he would be a broken soul without hopes or dreams.

But Atemu would change that.

_Bring me to life   
I've been living a lie   
There's nothing inside   
Bring me to life _


	3. Everybody's Fool

Priestess Aishisu: This is based on a fanfiction series I never got around to writing. If enough people like it, I may write it!

_  
  
_

_Perfect_ _by_ _nature  
Icons_ _of_ _self_-_indulgence  
Just_ _what_ _we_ _all need  
More lies_ _about a world_ __

I don't believe it.

Is this what you wanted?

_How?_ How could this have happened? How could a sweet, innocent angel become a mad, homicidal **demon?** How could I not have seen it coming?

I lived inside you, and I didn't see it coming.

_That_ _never_ _was_ _and never_ _will_ _be  
Have you_ _no shame don't_ _you see me?  
You know_ _you've got_ _everybody fooled_

I will never know if it was gradual or immediate, or what my first hint should have been.

Was it when you gave up hope? Or when you started rebelling? I didn't think much of either—perhaps I should have, or perhaps it was later.

Either way, it was my fault.

When our bodies separated, I definitely should have realized something. I still remember the rage in your eyes, and how you lunged at me.

I could have ended it there—I **should** have ended it there.

But I didn't, and it could have cost me my life.

_Look_ _here_ _he comes now  
Bow_ _down_ _and stare in_ _wonder_

Your power rose gradually. It started with the ability of invisibility, an ability that took two forms—the mere illusion and turning into wind.

The wind power was what mattered—it developed into flight, weather-control, telekinesis, shape-shifting…you never even _used_ the ability of illusion.

You didn't have too. You fooled everybody without using any magic at all.

_Look_ _here_ _he comes now  
Bow_ _down_ _and stare in_ _wonder  
Oh how_ _we_ _love you_

I loved you.

I. Loved. You.

I gave up thievery for you, violence, **everything. **Maybe that was where I made my mistake, by shifting light and dark too much.

You didn't **care.** You **knew** I loved you and you took **advantage **of it.

You destroyed **everything.** Everything I cared about. You took apart my life piece by piece, ruining all the hard work I had done redeeming myself.

And because I loved you, I didn't suspect you until you revealed yourself.

_No_ _flaws when_  
_You're_ _pretending  
But_ _now I_ _know he_

I remember the insanity in your eyes, eyes that had been so soft and bright. I remember your mad laughter as you set loose a million plagues upon the earth.

Lava welled up from the ground, monsters went on a rampage, the pyramids were heaved to the ground, the Nile itself destroyed tombs of Pharaoh's pasts, screaming sandstorms destroyed everything in their path. You had become everything you hated, and you didn't **care.**

Was it worth it? Was it worth it, just for a little revenge?

There was **no reason** to do what you did, and I still loved you.

_Never_ _was_ _and never_ _will_ _be  
You don't_ _know_ _how_ _you betrayed_ _me  
And_ _somehow_ _you've got_ _everybody fooled_

And in the last instant, the moment it all came down to, I couldn't kill you.

You knew that would happen, didn't it? I could see it in your wicked smirk, the wild triumph in those once-kind eyes that were now so crazed and heartless.

In the end, I couldn't do it. I fell to my knees and showed weakness the first time in my life. I surrendered to death, one enemy I had believed would never defeat me.

And it didn't. Instead, it was you who died—but not by my hand.

_Without_ _the mask  
Where_ _will you_ _hide  
Can't_ _find_ _yourself  
Lost_ _in_ _your_ _lies_

You really were going to kill me, weren't you?

If the Pharaoh hadn't attacked at that moment, driven by the death of Yugi and his friends, you would really have used those damn powers to destroy me.

What did you gain? That's all I want to know. In destroying half the world, what did you gain? A bit of revenge?

You had become exactly like me. You weren't even **real** anymore. Just like what I had been—a soulless corpse animated by insanity and hatred, fueled by a lust for revenge and death.

And it was death you found, but not mine—yours.

_I_ _know_ _the_ _truth_ _now  
I_ _know_ _who_ _you are  
And_ _I don't_ _love you anymore_

You were laughing when you died, wild with triumph, thinking I was about to be destroyed at last. The Pharaoh's attack came so swiftly you never even knew you had died.

What happened to your soul, I wonder? Is it wandering around the darkness, or does it simply not exist anymore? Or was it reborn in that child, the tiny white-haired infant that had somehow appeared in the shift of dark and light.

We took the baby, Ryou. The Pharaoh managed to convince me to rise and leave your corpse behind, but I couldn't leave your memory—and I couldn't leave your child.

_It_ _never_ _was_ _and never_ _will_ _be  
I can't hear you, you can't hear me  
And_ _somehow_ _you've got_ _everybody fooled_

I won't let him suffer our fates, you know that. The Pharaoh and I, along with the few survivors (barely over a million, and only four that we know, among which includes Kaiba and Mariku) are rebuilding the world—slowly but surely.

I love the Pharaoh now, Ryou. And we're going to raise your child—**our** child. Don't ask how he was born. It doesn't matter.

Slowly, I'm becoming happy. Slowly, I'm recovering. But it's slow, always slow.

Is this what you wanted?

The Pharaoh, Kaiba, Mariku, they all tell me to forget about you. They tell me you weren't real, that you were pretending all along, but I know better.

At least you'll never be forgotten. You've left your imprint on this world forever.

Is that what you wanted?

_It_ _never_ _was_ _and never_ _will_ _be  
You're not_ _real_ _and_ _you can't_ _save_ _me  
And_ _somehow_ _you've got_ _everybody fooled_


	4. My Immortal

Priestess Aishisu: At the moment, it seems that all of the fanfictions in this 'album' are going to be Bakura-centric, and that's fine with me. This is another Tendershipping, or at least Tendershipping is heavily hinted, which is strange for me—I hate Tendershipping, and have only used it once or twice in the past. ::Shrugs:: Oh, well.

  
_I'm_ _so_ _tired_ _of_ _being_ _here_  
_Suppressed_ _by_ _all_ _my_ _childish_ _fears_  
_And_ _if_ _you_ _have to leave_

A tall, handsome man with long white hair blowing around in the wind walked down the path with his hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans. He stared determinedly ahead, though his tear-blurred eyes saw nothing. His legs were moving without any thought involved, eyes filled with tears that refused to fall.

"He's gone," he whispered, more to himself, voice choked with tears and barely audible. "I'm…I'm alone…**all** alone…**again."**

_I_ _wish_ _that_ _you_ _would_ _just_ _leave_  
_Cause_ _your_ _presence_ _still lingers here_  
_And_ _it_ _won't_ _leave_ _me alone_

Yami no Bakura—or the being **known** as Yami no Bakura—lifted a hand to rub one blue eye. When Ryou had died, his eyes had went from chocolate brown to the blue it used to be in his past life—just a bit lighter.

Sinking down onto a bench, he gazed at the sky above helplessly.

"Ryou…"

_These_ _wounds_ _won't_ _seem_ _to_ _heal_  
_This_ _pain_ _is_ _just_ _too_ _real_  
_There's_ _just_ _too_ _much_ _that_ _time_ _cannot_ _erase_

How had this happened? He wondered, bowing his head. It had been so sudden, so unexpected—he, the Pharaoh, Ryou's so-called 'friends'…No one had seen it coming.

Having lost everything else dear to him, having lived for millenniums while everybody around him passed on, he would have thought he would be used to this by now.

You can never get used to losing everything you care about in one cruel instant.

_When_ _you_ _cried I'd_  
_Wipe_ _away_ _all_ _of your tears_  
_When_ _you'd_ _scream I'd_  
_Fight_ _away_ _all_ _of your fears_

He **knew** Ryou was different from him, had always known, but that didn't mean it had hurt any less when he died.

Ryou was mortal, he knew. Ryou could not die a hundred times and then return without a scar. And, somewhere inside, he had known Ryou would pass on.

But he hadn't realized it would be so soon.

_I_ _held_ _your hand through all of these_ _years  
But you_ _still have  
All of_ _me_

"Bakura?"

Bakura's eyes widened, and his head snapped up.

There he was—misty, but as lively as he had been in real life. His white-haired hikari smiled, eyes as bright as before that dreadful sickness came and took away the last thing Bakura had left…

_You_ _used_ _to_ _captivate_ _me_  
_By_ _your_ _resonating_ _light_  
_Now_ _I'm_ _bound_ _by_ _the_ _life you left behind_

Bakura reached out. Ryou seemed so close, near enough to touch. Unsure whether he was sitting or standing, he stretched his arm. His fingers were about to make contact…

And then he was gone.

_These_ _wounds_ _won't_ _seem_ _to_ _heal_  
_This_ _pain_ _is_ _just_ _too_ _real_  
_There's_ _just_ _too_ _much_ _that_ _time_ _cannot_ _erase_

Bakura stared in numb shock at his hand, the fingertips that had been so close now touching nothing but air, then the tears he had been holding back broke free.

He slumped against the bench, sobbing his eyes out, not caring who saw him. He was almost certain he could feel Ryou's arms around him…

But that was impossible.

_When_ _you_ _cried I'd_  
_Wipe_ _away_ _all_ _of your tears_  
_When_ _you'd_ _scream I'd_  
_Fight_ _away_ _all_ _of your fears_

"Dead!" he screamed, jumping to his feet. People stared, but he neither noticed nor cared. He clawed at his arms desperately, trying to rid himself of the feeling of Ryou's arms around him as he sobbed harder and harder.

It hurt. Yes, he was capable of hurt. His hikari had changed him, changed him for the better. He had learned love and compassion, but with it came grief.

_I_ _held_ _your hand through all of these_ _years  
But you_ _still have  
All of_ _me_

His hatred had been washed away, and a new hatred had taken his place.

Hatred towards the doctors, the so-called 'experts' who couldn't help him. They should have been able to, but they weren't. Why? Why?

"You're dead," he whimpered. "Why are you dead?"

_I've_ _tried_ _so_ _hard_ _to_ _tell_ _myself_ _that you're gone_  
_But_ _though_ _you're_ _still_ _with me_  
_I've_ _been_ _alone_ _all_ _along_

Then he jumped to his feet and ran. He neither knew nor cared where—he knew only that he had to get **away.** Away from death, away from memories, away…away from **everything.**

But he could feel Ryou following him. His spirit, along with the others he had cared about and lost, seemed determined to follow him wherever he went.

_When_ _you_ _cried I'd_  
_Wipe_ _away_ _all_ _of your tears_  
_When_ _you'd_ _scream I'd_  
_Fight_ _away_ _all_ _of your fears_

Why did they do that? Didn't they realize that following him, when they were dead and he would live forever, was just making everything worse?

At last he gave up and sank to his knees, strikingly aware that there was nowhere left to go. Like the spirits of his family, it seemed Ryou's memory was determined to haunt him for the rest of eternity.

_I_ _held_ _your hand through all of these_ _years  
But you_ _still have  
All of_ _me_


	5. Haunted

Priestess Aishisu: It's another Darkshipping…in a twisted sort of way.

_Long lost words_ _whisper slowly to me   
Still can't find what keeps me_ _here with you_

"_Upset? Why should I be upset? You're a Pharaoh, and I'm a camel_-_shit thief. Why should be upset that you'll murder_ _me and a hundred others, but your father's tomb is desecrated and suddenly the world is coming to an end."_

There it was again, that voice which haunted all his dreams.

_When all this time_ _I've been so hollow inside   
I know you're still there_

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked, his words creating frosty white steam in the frigid air. "I know you're still around. You don't fool me!"

_Watching me,_ _wanting me   
I can feel you pull me down _

Only silence greeted him.

But for all he knew, the one he was seeking could be hiding in that tree, watching him and laughing.

_Fearing you,_ _loving you   
I_ _know_ _I'll find you somehow _

He would find him. He had to find him. He knew he would find him, and then he would kill him.

But he would be back. He would **always** be back.

_Hunting you I can_ _smell you_—_alive   
Your heart_ _pounding in my_ _hands _

Every time he saw a flash, he whirled around—only to see that it was just snow being knocked off a branch.

For all he knew, he could have been hiding there the entire time, pretending to be snow himself—his hair was certainly pale enough.

_Calling me,_ _killing me   
I won't_ _let_ _you pull me_ _down _

Sometimes he wondered why he bothered.

Why he spent days searching for him, only to kill him? It wasn't as if it would last—if it would have, he wouldn't be able to find him each time.

Or, more often, be found himself.

_Saving me,_ _raping me   
Watching_ _me _

He had seen him just a week ago. The death had been so easy it hadn't seemed real, but he knew that it hadn't been an illusion.

Could an illusion stop him from falling off a cliff? Could an illusion kiss him? An illusion could die, it could speak, but could it _kiss_ him?

_Watching me,_ _haunting me   
I can feel you_ _pull me down _

He saw him behind every branch, in every mirror, in every dream, every time he closed his eyes.

It was becoming some kind of an obsession with him. It seemed almost as if he lived only to kill him, and then kill him again.

_Fearing you,_ _loving you   
I won't_ _let you pull me down _

If his was so determined to haunt him—and it now seemed almost inevitable that it was—he would be haunted right back.

After all, haunting was what spirits did.

Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me.

Kiss me, kill me…

_Watching me,_ _haunting me   
I can feel you_ _pull me down _

Sometimes he felt as though the only reason he was still alive was because **he** was too. He had to search and search until he was able to find him and kill him, then the entire cycle would start again.

Besides, he needed to repay that kiss.

_Fearing you,_ _loving you   
I won't_ _let you pull me down _


End file.
